Had some crazy makeup dreams last night …
You get extra points if you can name the song – it’s been stuck in my head all morning!
Have a FANTABULOUS FRIDAY!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Just For Fun
Product Reviews, Fragrance, Just for fun: Random Acts of Beauty; Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen Perfumes; Starlight Perfume by Shania Twain
One beauty blogger. Countless hours of music video watching. Two random acts of beauty.
Fall 1981
I’m in first grade. I get home from school one day, turn on the telly and see Blondie’s video, “Heart of Glass,” for the first time. Debbie Harry is blonde and bad-ass. I decide she’s the bomb and make the pledge to be her when I grow up.
During dinner I ask my mom if I can cut my long, straight black hair. “I want it short,” I say. “Blonde, too! And I’d like to do it before school tomorrow.”
My mom rolls her eyes, plops some vegetables on my plate and snorts, “Next year.” This answer is standard operating procedure in our household so I just shrug it off. I figure, okay, I can wait until second grade. It’s not that far away. (It wasn’t until I was much older when I finally figured out the words “next year” were code for “Oh hell naaaaaw, girl.”)
Later that evening, I sneak my mom’s gray shawl out of her bedroom. I put on some Grape Lip Smackers Gloss and dance around my room while singing, “La la la lah, heart of glass!” Even though I don’t have the blonde hair, boobs, or a band for that matter, my inner bad-ass Debbie manages to manifest itself. Yes!
Summer 1984
Madonna’s “Lucky Star” video is playing on MTV practically 24 hours a day. I am convinced that the black outfit that she has on is just the thing to wear to school picture day in the fall.
While we’re shopping for school clothes at Mervyn’s (there was no Limited Too back in the day), I freak out when I discover that the children’s section has no black, fingerless lace gloves. Wait … no black mesh tops either? What the hell?
My mom hands me a glittery unicorn decal T-shirt. I kick furiously at the carpet and foam at the mouth. To hell with the unicorns! It’s the black Lucky Star outfit or death!
“Don’t you start fussing about clothes,” my mom threatens through clenched teeth. “There are starving, naked children running around in the Philippines! Do you think they whine about black lace gloves? All they want is a scoop of rice and some underwear!”
Blah, blah, blah. I tune her out and pout all the way home.
I decide there is only one way to rebel against that dumbass unicorn T shirt. I put on some of my mom’s black eyeliner and try very carefully to make it look just like Madonna’s in the video. I somehow figure out how to work the VCR, tape the Lucky Star video, and then play it over and over again. Play, rewind, dance. Play, rewind, dance. I learn the entire video by heart. Hours pass. The sun goes down.
For some weird reason my parents say nothing while this strangeness unfolds in the living room. Maybe they figured at least I was exercising and not hanging out with the neighborhood ruffians. Or perhaps they thought I was possessed by the spirits and that there wasn’t anything they could do. They’ve never clarified why they let me dance around for five hours wearing crazy black eyeliner; I suspect they never will.
That day was the first day I ever wore black eyeliner and it’s been downhill ever since. I owe part of my makeup obsession to Madge and that fateful black outfit. She’s still number one in my book. And to this day, whenever the Lucky Star video starts playing, I can’t help but bust out the dance moves. Yes!
In the Beginning, there was Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
I went to Long’s yesterday to buy some Wet Ones Wipes to clean my brushes, a packet of LifeSavers Gummies (my sixth major food group) and some Cover Girl Lash Blast.
So I’m wandering around the makeup section when lo and behold, I run into the celebrity perfume aisle. I never paid attention to it until a few weeks ago, when I had the earth-shattering revelation that not all celeb perfumes suck.
I saw perfumes by the usual suspects (J.Lo, Hillary Duff, Britney), as well as the not-so usual suspects (Antonio Banderas — LOLOLOLZ).
Suddenly I realized that there was an inordinate amount of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen perfumes and body sprays. It’s clear from the ad pictures that these were made years ago, prior to the twins’ movement into high fashion.
These girls are like the OG original gangsters of celeb perfumes. They’ve got about 10 different kinds and their perfumes take up half of the aisle. Holy shizz!
The Olsen Twins, aka the Terminators of the Drugstore Celeb Perfume World
For reasons unknown I really wanted to buy the $15.99 gift set, but I wasn’t exactly ready to go there.
Later on that day, I chatted with my girl Julie from Almost Pretty. She confessed to having smelled a few MK and Ashley scents and described them as being akin to being enveloped in a smelly cloud of “sparkly crack.” THANK JEEBUS I held back from buying that set.
More Holiday Wish List 2007 — Starlight Perfume by Shania Twain
I’m happy to report that not all of the drugstore celeb perfumes are steeped in scent tragedy. One budget-minded perfume that I’ve actually been liking is Shania Twain’s Starlight.
The scent is very crisp, and reminds me of a mix of snow and champagne. On my skin the perfume reveals very few floral notes and smells more like a feminine, sophisticated version of men’s cologne.
Shania looks really great in this ad campaign, too. Girlfriend is fierce in that prom dress.
If you’re on a strict budget this year (and girl…trust me, I’ve been there) then this is a great gift option for your brother or sister’s girlfriend.
The 1.7 fl oz bottle of Shania Starlight is $34.00 for an eau de toilette spray; the smaller, 0.5 fl oz. spray is $18.00.
Today I’m going to do some more MAC Holiday 2007 product testing. I’ll have some more lovely swatches and pics of the Royal Assets Eye Shadow sets and Lip Sets soon!
Aren’t you glad it’s Wednesday? We’re halfway there, ya’ll! HOLD ON!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Product Reviews, Makeup, Fragrance, Face of the Day (FOTD), Just for Fun – Elizabeth Arden Mediterranean Perfume; Clinique Holiday 2007 Happy & Bright Makeup; Weekly Beauty Roundup; Chanel Holiday 2007 Palettes and Glosses
More Holiday Wish List 2007 – Elizabeth Arden Mediterranean Perfume
It’s been months since I’ve gone surfing and I miss being in the ocean. Just looking at the blue packaging and bottle for Elizabeth Arden’s Mediterranean perfume makes me feel like I’m in Hawaii, sitting on my board and waiting for the next wave to come and carry me away.
Aside from the beautiful bottle and packaging, the best part about this perfume is that the scent isn’t too heavy or cloying. Mediterranean is described on the Elizabeth Arden Web site as a “radiant woody floral.” Imagine a hybrid between the best parts of Fresh’s Lemon Sugar perfume and Covet.
When I spray it on I get an initial burst that’s lemony and white floral. It then dries down to a light, black tea scent. On me Mediterranean smells gender neutral and not overly feminine or sweet.
If you have a girlfriend, sister or mom who likes perfumes that aren’t too sweet then she’ll love this. It would also be a great gift for a friend who loves beachy scents but doesn’t like strong “tropical” notes like pikake or tuberose.
The 1.7 fl oz bottle you see in the pic above is $47.50, but for the holidays Elizabeth Arden’s got a special set that includes the 1.7 fl oz Eau de Parfum Spray, Body Lotion and a wee Eau de Parfum replica for $52.00. Don’t you love the extra goodies in gifts sets? I sure do.
A Holiday 2007 Face of the Day with Clinique’s “Happy & Bright” Makeup
Here’s a face of the day I did with Clinique’s Holiday 2007 “Happy & Bright” makeup. What do you think?
I used the pink shade farthest on the left all over the lid, then the peach shade to highlight the browbone and inner eye. I put the lighter brown shade in the crease and used the darker brown on the far right to line the top and bottom. Then I finished it off with two coats of BECCA The Ultimate Mascara in Black.
On the cheeks I used the lightest touch of MAC’s Dollymix blush with Clinique Fresh Bloom Allover Colour in Peony layered on top.
I finished the look off with Raspberry Glace Different Lipstick and Camisole Full Potential Lipglass on the lips.
I really love these colors. They are buildable and pretty much mistake proof. My next Clinique Holiday 2007 mission: use the Pink Truffle quad to create a gentle smoky eye!
Weekend Reading Just For You
Your weekend isn’t over yet! Here’s the latest beauty buzz from The Beauty Blog Network.
15 Minute Beauty Fanatic – Christine Explains how Antioxidants Work
A Touch of Blusher – All About Japanese Cosmetics
All Lacquered Up – All Lacquered Up Reviews OPI’s Holiday in Hollywood Dazzling Darks & Neutrals
Beauty and Fashion Tech – Beauty and Fashion Tech Looks at the New MAC Holiday Collection and Provides Swatches
Beauty and Personality Grooming – Homemade rich nail cream
Etailers Mall – The Blog – PlumSmoke
Face Candy – Bridal Beauty
Makeup Moxie’s Beauty Blog – Makeup Moxie Reviews Cover Girl Lashblast Mascara
Musings of a Muse – The Muse’s First Look at the Sephora 2007 Catalog
Mystical Beauty’s Musings – How do you feel about your makeup talking to you?
Savvy Skin – Skimpy Thinning Eyebrows
SugarShock – Fragrance Notes: Factory Girl
Temptalia – MAC Curiositease Review, Swatches, and Photos!
Makeup Loves Me – Refreshing Facial at Fresh
And oooh girl, I know you didn’t miss Makeup and Beauty Blog’s MAC Holiday 2007 Curiositease Lip Sets: What to buy, What to pass up!
A Few More Random Thangs Currently Up in My Grill
Because the world is constantly moving toward randomness…here are few tidbits that have crossed my radar in the last few days.
In definance to all the laws of the universe, somehow Christian Bale came SECOND PLACE to Wentworth Miller in Entertainment Weekly’s Ultimate Hottie Poll, BOO!
That’s okay, I’ll comfort you, Chris
I saw this kid dancing on “The Soup” and I laughed for about 10 minutes straight. I kept rewinding and laughing, rewinding and laughing. He’s my hero.
Not that I need any more TV in my life, but Torchwood on BBC is FANTASTIC. Tivo it, yo!
What’s My Motivation?
Today I was in an infinitely better mood then yesterday because last night I slept twelve hours. No joke. Every moment of sleep was like manna from the heavens. Ahhhh!
In between working it out at the gym and watching the Colts and Patriots game (that Tom Brady is HAWT!) I thought of all the stuff I have to get done this week that I just don’t want to do.
“Hmmm,” I thought, “What’s the ultimate form of motivation? What’s gonna make me want to go the extra mile to get all this craptacular crapola done?”
The answer? C to the H to the A to the N to the E to the L.
The reward for finishing my first project…
And the second…
And the third…
The moral of this story? A little Chanel bribery goes a long, long way.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Face of the Day (FOTD) and Just for Fun: My Halloween Costume – Amy Winehouse
Trick or Treat! This year I’m the short, brown, non-alcoholic version of AMY WINEHOUSE.
Here’s what I used to get the look:
Eyes:
MAC Blacktrack Fluidline (LOTS AND LOTS OF IT!)
MAC Plushlash in Plushblack
MAC Shadow in Woodwinked all over lid
MAC Concrete in brows
MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer
Cheeks:
MAC Mocha blush
MAC Dollymix blush
Lips:
MAC Cremestick liner in Red Enriched
MAC Lipstick in Dubonnet
Hair:
Garnier Fructis Full Control Hairspray
Streekers Instant Liquid Hairclolor in Yellow
I haven’t done big hair in about 15 years so I hope this massive bird’s nest on the top of my head stays put for the rest of the day.
What did you dress up as? Whatever it is I hope it’s cute!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. I gotta give some blog love to my husband (aka El Hub), who, in an ironic twist of fate, is at the dentist having his first cavities drilled today! Be strong, baby!
Product review, Fragrance, Perfume, Just for Fun: Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy; You Must Choose – The Britney Edition
It seems that celeb perfumes, like Barney or Paris Hilton, divide people into two distinct camps: either you LOVE THEM or you HATE THEM.
I used to be in the HATE THEM category but after sampling and actually liking Sarah Jessica Parker’s Covet perfume a few weeks ago, I realized that hating all celeb scents purely on principal was terribly unfair. A good scent is a good scent, and I can’t hate on one just because it’s being hocked by B-list singers or actors.
Maybe I’ll find at least one more celeb perfume that doesn’t make me want to throw up, I thought.
And sweet jeebus, did I find one – Britney Spears’ Midnight Fantasy. LOLOLOLZ!
Laugh all you want, ya’ll. I know I did when I first picked up the cheesy purple bottle, which is BeDazzled within an inch of its life.
I expected eau de Cheetoes/Red Bull/bad weave to be thrust into the air when I spritzed it on my wrist. Lo and behold, instead out came a really pretty fruit scent. It might be a touch too sweet for some, but on me I pick up notes of blackberries, vanilla and cherries. Yum!
It’s a fun, flirty, youthful smell. I’d wear it on date night or the weekends but not to work because it can be a lil’ bit too Wet Seal/Forever 21/Limited Too if administered in too heavy a dose.
One 5.5 oz bottle of Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy is $55.00, available on the macys.com Web site.
YOU MUST CHOOSE: The Britney Spears Edition
I must confess
That my lonliness
Is killing me now
Don’t you know I still believe?
–Britney Spears
So yeah, her personal life is a mess, and the girl can’t comb that dirty birdy weave to save her life but I gotta come clean. I’m on TEAM BRITNEY. I’ll even fess up to attending one of her concerts, and dammit, it was good!
A few weeks ago you were introduced to one of my fave time wasters, YOU MUST CHOOSE. Can you handle the Britney Spears edition?
The 10th circle of hell opens up…and it doesn’t lead into my closet! Instead, you are forced to work in close proximity as a personal assistant to either Britney Spears (who just shaved her head, is foaming at the mouth and is wielding a very large umbrella) or Rachel Ray (who speaks to you with excessive perkiness and ONLY in code – EVOO! YUM-O! – before you’ve had your morning coffee). And yes, you are on call for twenty four hours a day. YOU MUST CHOOSE!
Britney finally decides to get help, and unfortunately it’s not the mental kind. Instead, she has you choose a weave/wig to wear to court (she’s gotta get those babies back, yo!) to make her look like a model citizen. Blonde? Brunette? Black? YOU MUST CHOOSE!
You have the power to re-write history. You can either erase Kevin Federline from Britney Spears’ life OR Bobby Brown from Whitney’s life (remember “I Will Always Love You?” girlfriend KILLED that song!). Who would you save? YOU MUST CHOOSE!
You get the chance to be a backup dancer in any Britney Video that your lovin’ heart desires. Which one would you star in? YOU MUST CHOOSE!
Aren’t you glad Monday is over? I am. This week should be better work-wise for me so I’ll be back to postings in the mornings once more, whew!
Have a good night…I hope you dream of Manolos.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Just for fun: Random Acts of Beauty
Twenty-four hours. One beauty blogger. Three random acts of beauty.
Random Act of Beauty: October 24, 2007, 11:37 a.m.
I go to a local burrito joint hungrier than a hippo, and I find out after I order my food that they only take cash. I’m short $1.50 and the walk to the atm seems farther than a trek through the Sahara. Plus my stomach is rumbling like crazy.
I dig through the cusions and crevices of my car and I find nickels, dimes and pennies. When I add them all up, I find that I have exactly one dollar and fifty cents. Yes!
Random Act of Beauty: October 24, 2007, 5:35 p.m.
I finally find sunblock that doesn’t leave my neck feeling sticky, Shiseido’s Ultimate Sun Protection SPF 55 for Face & Body, at my local Macy’s Shiseido counter.
That’s it on the right in the funny shaped bottle. The formula is a thin liquid that spreads easily and absorbs quickly. It has a nice smell and the finish is matte, so my neck doesn’t feel sticky and gross after application.
On the left is the Face version. It’s incredibly moisturizing and so far hasn’t broken me out.
Before I leave the counter with these goodies the nice Shiseido lady hooks it up! In addition to the gift-with-purchase, she gives me a generous handful of extra samples. Yes!
October 24, 2007, 8:50 p.m.
I finally get enough time to sit my bum down to watch the newest episode of I Love NY 2. I admire one contestant, Buddha, and can’t help but think of El Hub.
Smile? Check. Muscles? Check.
Spaghetti strap tank top?
I thank the stars above that El Hub has the good enough sense to not sport this fashion faux pas. Yes!
And while I’m at it, I also thank jeebus I’m not on a reality TV show looking for love amongst closet psychos, like The Entertainer. Yes!
Any random acts of beauty happen to you lately? Please say yes!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Makeup Tips, MAC Makeup, Just for Fun: Makeup and Beauty Blog’s Hell-to-the-Yah! List: Friday, October 19, 2007
Hell-to-the-Yah! #1: Uppity Fluidline from the MAC Antiquitease Limited Edition Collection
Everyone and their mamma is buzzing about the Antiquitease release, and for good reason. It’s sparkly. It’s pretty. And it reminds me of the Solid Gold Dancers.
Even though I’ve been hopelessly devoted to Blacktrack for the last three months, I find myself jonsing for the gold colored Fluidline, Uppity (yellow gold with gold pearl). Why do I need gold eyeliner? Where will I wear gold eyeliner? These questions are irrelevant. I can’t wait to dip my 209 into this. I think that it just might be better than eating a dozen hot, fresh Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Maybe.
Hell-to-Yah! #2: Mission: KIMMORA LEE SIMMONS
I see dead people … okay not really. I see fried chicken. And Kimora Lee Simmons.
The other night I got about 2.5 seconds of sleep because I had a burst of creative energy between 11:00 and 3:00 am. I usually have fleeting creative moments in the shower or when I’m brushing my teeth (weird, I know), so when it comes on full blast I cannot deny its siren call.
At 2:15, just as I was in the middle of brainstorming story ideas, I hallucinated a plate of Kentucky Fried Chicken, complete the with biscuits, mashed potatoes and gravy and that weird but tasty sweet corn. Then I had a very clear, very precise revelation:
Someday, somehow I am going to meet KIMORA LEE SIMMONS. And I’m going to interview her.
I’ve caught a few episodes of her show, Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane this past week and for some reason I just think she’s kinda cool.
Sure she makes unrealistic demands on her people and seems to always be on the verge of bitching someone out. But I see her as having vision and not settling for less. And have you seen her closet? I’d consider giving up my firstborn up for the shoes and Louis Vuitton luggage alone.
I don’t know when it’s going to happen or how I’m going to do it but this is now one of my missions in life.
Kimora, watch out, girl! One of these days we’ll be talkin’ shop!
Hell-to-the-Yah! #3: Brown Round Toe Boots by Rebels
After searching high and low, I finally found a pair of boots that truly move my soul. I saw these brown Rebel boots on Zappos and I knew from the first glance that they were the boots for me…sigh! Whether or not they are practical in the rain remains to be determined. But who cares, they’re hot. I love you Zappos!
Hell-to-the-Yah #4: Halloween!
Out of the fall holiday trifecta (Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas) my favorite of the bunch is Halloween. It’s fun, non-denominational and of course, there is the gorging of the candy. Mmmm, Snickers.
This year I’m going to dress up as the hot mess chanteuse known as Amy Winehouse. I’ve got the beehive hair and cat eye covered but the tattoos, well…that’s an issue where I’m still working out. Hopefully I’ll find a bunch of cool temporary ones at the Halloween store this weekend.
Are you dressing up this year? What’s your costume?
Hell-to-the-Yah #5: Feeding My Inner Beast O’ Laziness … with Anti-bacterial Wet Ones
The fab makeup artist to the stars and Billy B. gave me my newest favorite makeup tip. When he’s working on several clients he’ll wipe his brushes between gigs with Anti-Bacterial Wet Ones wipes, which clean and disinfect brushes quickly and thoroughly and don’t leave a weird film on the brush heads.
And holy effing crap! These wipes are like gold for cleaning your brushes. If you don’t always have the time to do a thorough brush cleaning at the sink (or if you’ve got lazy beast tendencies like your truly) then these will save you from a life of dirty birdy brushes.
Woo hoo! We made it! Sometimes I think that we should all get an award for just making it to Friday without losing our minds. Now if only that reward involved copious amounts of Chanel …
Have a fantastic weekend! Drive safe in this rain, okay?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
If you liked this post, check out MAC Makeup Tips: MAC Does Makeup for Music, Too. 🙂
Just for Fun: Dear Makeup and Beauty Blog
Dear Makeup and Beauty Blog…
What’s tough love got to do with it? You know you need it, and I’m here to give it to ya!
Dear Makeup and Beauty Blog,
I am a makeup fanatic, and over the past year I’ve gotten really good at applying makeup on myself and my two sisters and friends. My dream is to work for a makeup counter or as a makeup artist.
Everyone tells me that I’ve got mad skills, and I know that I am really good at it too. But there’s one big thing that I have trouble with. … I’m really shy. I have a hard time making small talk with strangers. And while I’d love to work all day long applying makeup on people, the thought of having to talk to them and interact with them makes me quite sweaty and nervous.
I really want to pursue this dream, but my shyness is getting in my way. I don’t want it to hold me back anymore. What should I do?
Shy in Chi-town
Hi Shy,
You are so lucky to have found your passion! It sounds like you really love makeup and have a great skill set which you can turn into something wonderful.
Like applying makeup, making small talk and interacting with strangers are skills. Think about it. Were you able to define your crease, work that outer V or blend like a rock star the first time you picked up an eye brush? Chances are it took you hours of practice and experimentation!
Learning how to be comfortable with strangers and making small talk is going to be hard, but you can work towards getting more comfortable. It just takes motivation and practice.
Believe it or not, just like you, I am a naturally shy person. I was a very introverted child, and even doing simple things, like ordering an ice cream cone, was very hard to do. I never raised my hand in class and felt comfortable talking only around my family and close friends.
I think I would’ve missed out on many opportunities in my life because of my shyness if it hadn’t been for two things that helped me pop out of my shell at the age of 14: taking drama classes and joining a speech/debate club.
I’m not going to lie. It was not easy. There were days I had to literally force myself to go to class because I hated it so much. However, after a while I got used to interacting with people and being in front of strangers. And after lots of practice I eventually became less shy.
If I were in your shoes I would …
1.) Either take a class or join a club, like a debate club or drama class. OR …
2.) Join a group like Toastmasters International, a non-profit group that helps adults learn how to become better public speakers.
I realize that these are big steps to take. If either one seems too intimidating then you could start by role-playing with your sisters or your friends. Have them pretend to be a stranger, and you can be the makeup artist at the counter.
I actually did something similar to this when I got my first magazine assignment years ago. I somehow talked myself into the job despite very little interviewing experience. To get some practice I sent out an email to my friends and family, and then scheduled “fake” interviews with them individually. It was a safe and gentle way to get my feet wet.
It sounds like a silly exercise but it is a step. And a baby step is better than no step at all.
Remember to gird your loins because like learning any new skill, it’s not going to be easy. However, this is your life. You can sit there with your shyness and watch it pass you by, or you can do something about it. You make the ultimate choice whether or not you move forward and chase those dreams.
Take care and keep on truckin’.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen